The trial into eight of 14 people accused of immigration offences dating back to 2018 has opened at Preston Crown Court.

Francis McEntee, prosecuting, said Mahmood Hussain, 56, had been responsible for forging documents and providing false information on visa applications, in relation to the employment records of three people who wanted to sponsor their spouses to come and live in the UK from Pakistan.

Mr McEntee said Hussain had forged documents for Qasim Khan, Sakab Asghar and Sidra Ali in respect of their employment, saying they had all worked at his MOT garage in Garden Street, Nelson, on different dates between March 2018 and July 2020.

This information was then used as evidence to prove the defendants were earning the minimum of £18,600 a year required by immigration to allow a spouse to enter the country without becoming a burden to the state.

Their respective spouses are - Maria Khan, Sabeela Arshad, and Taimoor Ali.

Opening the case, Mr McEntee said: “This is the systematic and elaborate corruption of the rules surrounding visas to allow people to enter the country, visas that may be issued to foreign nationals who may have a familial relationship with someone in the UK, which will allow them to reside with their husband or wife in this country.

“At the heart of this case is Mahmood Hussain, who, over a number of years, provided a bespoke service of garnering a full range of documents for those family life visas.

“He would facilitate the documents which would allow fraudulent applications to be made.”

Mr McEntee said the three individuals (Qasim Khan, Sakab Asghar and Sidra Ali) would “call upon Hussain to create a false history of employment and earnings from his garage in Nelson".

He added: “He would then provide false evidence of residency, banking and employment details.”

Mr McEntee showed the jury text messages from some of the defendants to Hussain, asking him for wage slips and P60s for their visa applications, and also making reference to money which was to be exchanged between the two.

Evidence from HM Revenue and Customs showed 14 people were employed by Hussain at his MOT garage – none of whom were any of the defendants - except for Qasim Khan, who worked there long before any visa application was made in respect of his wife.

Official HMRC records for Qasim Khan, Sakab Asghar and Sidra Ali, also revealed none of them had been employed by the MOT garage at the time the visa applications were made.

Mr McEntee said the jury would ultimately have to decide whether Hussain, Qasim Khan, Sakab Asghar and Sidra Ali were guilty of the charge of assisting with the unlawful immigration of non-EU citizens, by providing false information on visa application forms.

Only if they were found guilty could the jury then consider whether their spouses, Maria Khan, Sabeela Arshad, and Taimoor Ali were guilty of obtaining leave to enter or remain in the UK by deception, in that they knew about the falsification of the documents and information.

Mr McEntee said: “There are people applying for visas saying they are employed by the Garden Street MOT garage, but there are no official records of them being employed there.

"This is not genuine employment, and it is chance coincidence there are a number of these people with the same circumstances. It is a sham.”

Those standing trial are:

  • Mahmood Hussain, 56, Chapel House Road, Nelson

Husband and wife:

  • Maria Khan, 27, Leytonstone, London
  • Qasim Khan, 31, Percy Street, Nelson

Husband and wife:

  • Sakab Asghar, 34, Aikman Place, Burnley
  • Sabeela Arshad, 30, Aikman Place, Burnley

Husband and wife:

  • Taimoor Ali, 29, Percy Street, Nelson
  • Sidra Ali, 32, of Percy Street, Nelson

The eighth defendant, Sidhra Riaz, 28, Walverden Crescent, Nelson, is also charged with assisting with the unlawful immigration of non-EU citizens, by providing false information on visa application forms, although the charges of obtaining leave to enter or remain in the UK by deception against her husband Noman Rehman, were dismissed.

Six other people will stand trial, alongside Hussain, next month accused of similar charges. They are:

  • Asim Shah, 34, Railway Street, Nelson
  • Laila Ume, 30, Railway Street Nelson
  • Junaid Ali, 29, Manchester Road, Nelson
  • Mewish Naz, 32, Manchester Road, Nelson
  • Mehnaz Uldin, 35, Highfield Crescent, Nelson
  • Mohammed Uldin, 34, Highfield Crescent, Nelson

The trial continues.